There are a number of ways a person can brew a hot or a cold beverage. Some beverages are preferred by most at one temperature or another, whereas other beverages such as coffee and tea have gained a large following in both their hot and cold varieties.
Typically, to brew a hot beverage, such as coffee, one uses a device that heats up water which is then passed through coffee grounds placed in a filter. The coffee then emanates from the filter is collected in the collection area below the filter. In order to make iced, or chilled, coffee one typically has to use a toddy or resort to pouring hot coffee over ice. Each of these methods have distinct disadvantages when it comes to making iced beverages, especially coffee.
In using a toddy, the brewing process typically takes at least twelve hours during which an extract is collected that can then be diluted. Otherwise, ice must be used with the hot beverage being poured over the ice. This, in turn, creates a more diluted beverage due to the ice (water) present in the serving vessel. Some have attempted to combat this factor of dilution by brewing the coffee used in making iced coffee twice as strong as one regularly would. However, this uses more coffee and ends up costing the patron or business more money.
Thus, there is a need for a beverage maker that can selectively brew a hot or cold beverage in an efficient and expeditious manner. It is also desirable to prevent overuse of coffee grounds or other similar substances due to dilution. The present invention and its embodiment meets and exceeds these objectives. Review of related technology:
U.S. Pat. No. 8,066,152 pertains to a device that has a base that secures to the bottle's neck and has two passages that traverse the base. The first passage leads to an enclosure located above the base that holds cooling material and optionally has a conduit that improves the heat exchange between a dispensing liquid and the cooling material retained in the enclosure. The exit passage of the enclosure has in at least one embodiment a valve. The second passage through the base forms a vent line that is located entirely below the enclosure and allows air to flow into the bottle as bottle's contents are dispensed through the first passage.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,883 pertains to a beverage brewing device which includes a conventional brewing assembly, and a cooling assembly for brewing a hot beverage and then dispensing the beverage as a hot beverage or diverting it to the cooling system to dispense it as a cold beverage. A switching assembly is provided to permit the user to selectively choose between a hot beverage and cold beverage. The device also provides a novel cooling cartridge which permits the introduction of hot liquid and results in the dispensing of cold liquid from the cold cartridge.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,599,872 pertains to an insulated container having a low freezing temperature material such as a liquid or semi-liquid, sealed therein. A pouring funnel is provided at the upper end of the container with a spiral conduit extending from the funnel, downwardly through the liquid or material, to a discharge at the base. When frozen, a beverage can be poured into the funnel portion and flows downwardly through the conduit being cooled by the material within the container and surrounding the conduit. The liquid then discharges at the base at a relatively lower temperature. A valve can be provided in the base for controlling the retention time, if desired.
U.S. Patent Application 2007/0051248 pertains to a hot and cold beverage maker for preparing a hot beverage and a beverage jug into which the hot beverage is dispensed and cooled. The jug has an outer receptacle having an outer receptacle wall and a base and an inner receptacle for receiving a cooling agent. The inner receptacle is removably located within the outer receptacle and has an inner receptacle wall together with the outer receptacle wall defining a beverage compartment for receiving the hot beverage to be cooled. A rotational paddle is located within the beverage compartment between the inner and outer receptacle walls for stirring a beverage in the beverage compartment. There may also be a rotational blade within the inner receptacle for agitating the cooling agent.
Various devices are known in the art. However, their structure and means of operation are substantially different from the present disclosure. The other inventions fail to solve all the problems taught by the present disclosure. The present invention uses a thin, hollow double helical structure surrounded by a coolant and located below a typical brewing filter to cool a hot brewed beverage as necessary. At least one embodiment of this invention is presented in the drawings below and will be described in more detail herein.